Article originally published on Orlando Business Journal
Hispanics have a tendency to cook big meals at home for family gatherings on Sundays after church, but they also love to dine out together regularly. They make each experience a fun event everyone will remember.
Hispanics are very brand loyal and are valuable to restaurants, with an estimated 9.8 billion annual visits. It also is estimated that Hispanic consumers are projected to account for 25 percent of the increase in consumer spending on food away from home from 2010 to 2015. That’s one of every four new dollars being spent in the category.
They are big spenders at quick-service restaurants, too, spending 16 percent more each year than non-Hispanic households. Plus, they’re more likely to dine with children there. They frequent hamburger restaurants more often than the rest of the market, as well.
As the Hispanic market keeps growing, there is a big business opportunity waiting for restaurant owners. Here are four helpful tips that can help you feed your bottom line:
- Research your restaurant’s demographics: Find out what percentage of Hispanics live within a 5- to 10-mile radius from your restaurant. Knowing your store’s demographics will enable you to gain more clients.
- Make it a pleasant, relatable experience: Hispanics like the “entire cultural experience” when they dine out. Fresh, healthy ingredients, along with quality and service are very important factors.
- Understanding their dining habits: Restaurants have to be family-friendly. Hispanics tend to dine out with their children and stay in restaurants longer than non-Hispanics. Therefore, there is an opportunity to up-sell appetizers, kid’s menus, desserts, drinks and more.
- Feeling welcome: Make sure to train your servers well and have the menu available in Spanish. Larger tables mean bigger checks and better tips for them at the end of their shifts.
If you want to significantly boost your restaurant’s sales, it is very important to be aware of the quality of service Hispanics will expect from you, the dining customs they exercise, the flavor and food ingredients they prefer, and the cultural traditions they embrace. If you do it right, these simple investments will bring much more to your table.